Craft Alliance in the Kranzberg Arts Center: Friday, 21 January 2011

This exhibition is an exploration of space and the human experience. “Breathe includes a vast vaulted canopy made of tracing paper painted a brilliant saffron color and detailed with intaglio printed marks. The saturation of this hue is so amplified that viewers entering the space appear to be altered by reflective golden light. The radiant warm glow is an uplifting counterpoint to the palette and routine of daily life,” states Carrie Scanga. “I have always been fascinated by how changes in light make us see the familiar in a new way. My sculptural installations highlight the relationships between our internal physical sense of occupying bodies and our perceptions of occupying architectural interiors, as well as our present experience versus memory.”

Breathe is the staging ground for a participatory event titled exhale. In this event, hundreds of flat paper envelopes are inflated by gallery visitors and suspended in the installation. All are invited to participate and capture your single breath to be part of a collective group sigh. The artist will be on hand at 6 p.m. of the opening to kick off the exhale event.

Christina Shmigel’s first solo US exhibition since 2005 is composed of three interrelated installations. Continually shifting between macro- and microcosmic views, the installations are emblematic of Shmigel’s play with scale and size, intimacy and monumentality, and create for the viewer something of the vibrancy & intensity of Shanghai (China), the city where she now lives and works. There is much in this exhibition that springs from the local knowledge of Shanghai but also much that speaks to more universal themes. How do we decipher and interpret experience, making meaning amidst that which is foreign to us? How do we come to know the world thru association and memory and projection? And, most importantly, the question that has always been central to Shmigel’s work, how do the inanimate things that we build and that we surround ourselves with, reveal the nature of our humanity?

In the tradition of European “wunderkammers” and Ming and Qing Dynasty curio boxes, the installations Foreigner’s Cabinet of Chinese Curiosities is an idiosyncratic attempt to catalogue and preserve a culture through its material possessions. The View In Fragments, a gathering of seemly abandoned glass vitrines, some empty, some containing expanded versions of the architectural structures found in the cabinet’s drawers, continues Shmigel’s archiving impulse. Shmigel preserves the architecture that the city’s dwellers actively overlook. Dystopic white tiled buildings, blue pre-fab migrant worker housing, teetering rooftop pigeon coops: the vitrines present what is most uncelebrated is as though precious. City in Which I Love You echoes the materials and references of the cabinet and the vitrines but looks with a bird’s eye view on the city, mimicking its ubiquitous building scaffolding, the pulsating color of its neon, its manic growth & temporality. In Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, Kublai Khan suggests to Marco Polo that perhaps we take pleasure in a city not because of the question it answers, but because of the question it asks of us, “forcing us to answer”.

In the Front Room, the gallery presents an installation/sculpture titled “ORANGES/MEGALITHIC” by Shawn Burkard. The sculpture is composed of 300 vinyl orange blocks representing a youth generated subculture, while Ancient Egyptian pyramids inspire the installation’s structure. The individual “Orange” block contour is derived from Shawn Burkard’s two-dimensional designs of “Letterless Alphabet” series along with works from the “Over and Over” exhibition. The compilation of past and present develop puzzling yet simple lines that create depth and volume in the work.

In the Media Room, the gallery presents Touch the Sky, a new video work by Eleanor Dubinsky. She says: Touch the Sky is the visual expression of what happens to me physically, spiritually and emotionally as I release elements, relationships and ideas from my consciousness that no longer serve my best interest.

The Gallery at Chesterfield Arts: Friday, 14 January 2011

Chesterfield Arts is proud to present Meredith Foster and Chris Day in the Gallery. Foster and Day’s works feature intricate manipulations of line & perspective on paper. The Opening Reception on January 14 from 6 to 9pm is free and open to the public.

With clay as their medium, Consentino, Chalmers, Shimazu, and Kubale create figures that evoke emotion and self-reflection. Esther Shimazu creates vivid imagery of voluptuous women, unconcerned about clothing and hairdo, comfortable in their own skins. Each sculpture is assembled body part by body part, even the individual toenails and teeth are constructed with detail in mind.

Andrea Donnelly’s graphic and intricate work is an in-depth exploration of a wide range of human emotions. Through the weaving of painted fibers, Donnelly projects feelings of vulnerability, fear, desire, joy, and sadness that can either connect us to others or isolate us from them. The mental landscape of fabric she creates draws the viewer close, to feel connected.Taking an altogether different approach to the theme, Loring Taoka uses his childhood experiences as inspiration for his latest work. Taoka’s complex, intimate metal sculptures reflect his thoughts and feelings toward his upbringing as a Japanese-American in rural New England.Through mixed media, Kay Khan connects fragments of stitched figures and text to create elaborate vessels that instill personal reflection. The immense detail of every stitch within the structure forms a labyrinth of meaning and connection.

Opening concurrently in the Charak Gallery is an exhibition featuring Deborrah Daher and Janice Ho, who use traditional metalsmithing techniques to create exquisite hand-made jewelry. Their work is fashionable, highly detailed, and sophisticated.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Poor Souls Art Gallery: Saturday, 18 December 2010

New art Gallery in St Louis opening saturday Dec 18, 2010, 3 pm-7 pm

These events are designed to bring together the artist and their audience. Not just for the night, but to create a symbiotic, residual co-dependency (of the two), if possible. We have been hard at work to bring you 'EMERGENCE!' from one location for a while to come, and that place is now ready enough to show off a little.

Luminary Center for the Arts: Thursday, 16 December 2010

Closing Reception and Artist Talk: Thursday, December 16th from 6-8pm

On Thursday, December 16th from 6-8pm, The Luminary Center for the Arts will host an artist talk and closing reception for Scribe, a new site-specific installation by Lindsey Stouffer, and Forecast, an international group exhibition on the theme of prediction.

Stouffer will be speaking about Scribe at 7pm. Luminary Resident Artist Amanda Pfister will also be giving a short talk about her work at 6:30pm in the main gallery. Please join us for this special event which will mark the close of our 2010 exhibition season.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Third Degree East Gallery: Friday. 17 December 2010

At The Gallery: December 17 - January 18

Whimsical Monstrosities: Abby Gitlitz. Gitlitz creates glass creatures that might lurk under the bed, hide in the closet, and romp where the wild things are. Full of vibrant color and a strong dose of whimsy, they feel right at home in the world of Dr. Seuss. Feather boas, sparkly eyelashes, and the occasional copper faucet add dazzle.

Discover America: Stu and Stacey Morse. These Lewis and Clark Commemorative Paintings capture the unique relationship of the ten states along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The central theme of this series is how the American landscape and national trails have connected people through history. Discover America was created by Missouri Artists/Explorers, Stuart Morse and Stacey Morse

Jeanne Vogel Studios: Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Free artist's reception for Jennifer Weigel, 6-8pm., Wed., Dec 15 at Jeane Vogel Studios. Jennifer's playful and complex plein air landscapes are in the gallery this month as part of the rotatingWomen's Caucus for Art exhibit. All are small works -- 5x7 to 11x14 -- and many have not be exhibited before. Yes, of course there will be refreshments!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Good Citizen Gallery: Friday, 21 January 2011

Dismantling Evil is an exhibition of a new body of work by Robin Assner and Sarah Nitschke. The roots of this work stem from a long-term, multi-disciplinary, series based project titled Acts of Hope and Futility - the collaborators have been working on this series since 2004.

The body of work in Dismantling Evil is an examination of evil from a humanistic perspective. In particular Assner and Nitschke are interested in evil as an intrinsic part of the human psyche and experience; how it is often normally good natured, average people who commit evil. This work challenges each individual to examine their own views and personal responsibility - as complicit bystanders and accessories after the fact - to the rampant global ills that continue to haunt us. Through extensive research and study, the artists have created work which begin to dismantle the complexities of western ideas about evil, challenging conventional perceptions, notions, and assumptions of what is, and who is, evil. In doing so, Assner and Nitschke hope to break down the highly evocative subject of evil; deflating its power and revealing small actions that can begin to disrupt its perpetuation, on both an individual and a community level.

The presence of "evil" is found within all levels of the Western human consciousness. It has infiltrated all forms of mass media communications and feeds an incessant cultural fascination and attention to all of the "evil" in the world. A small fraction of examples representing this bombardment can be seen in the following; the American term "axis of evil" and the constant threat of terrorist attacks; newscasts and multitudes of true crime programming on cable and television networks portraying "evil" individuals killing their spouses; and 24/7 access via the internet to plentiful and highly disturbing examples of evil-videos, photos, court testimonies, etc. The idea of evil is not just sitting on the back burner in our minds. We are constantly being confronted with the idea, the thing, the descriptor, and the act. As a countermeasure to such constant unconscious psychological infiltration, Assner and Nitschke do not get caught up in the heightened emotional intensity of the topic, but deliberately dismantle the concept and the roots of evil. Not condoning evil acts is essential, while simultaneously illuminating "evils'" core underpinnings as manageable, controllable facets of the human experience.

Soulard Art Market: Friday, 10 December 2010

Current trends in ceramic art have brought a new-found respect for clay as a `fine art' medium. Works from students, teachers, hobbyists and seasoned professionals, offer a comprehensive look into these trends. This show will celebrate the versatility of clay, as we showcase how area ceramic artists transform this medium into true works of art. Admission is free. Refreshments will be provided, featuring Schlafly beer. Musical entertainment provided by: Leslie Sanazaro, http://www.lesliesanazaro.com

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Turner Center for the Arts: Friday, 17 December 2010

Join us for wine and cheese during our closing reception at TCA on Friday, December 17, 5-9 pm. This will be your last chance for the year to see and purchase the dynamic art of TCA participants. Many works are in an outsider/folk art style and are very affordable. Paintings, drawings, collages, and sculptures will be available (plus nearly every painting comes with a frame too!). Come learn about our programs, our mission, our history and support the arts at the Turner Center for the Arts.

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Duane Reed Gallery: Friday, 10 December 2010

Michael Eastman: Cuba 2010December 10, 2010 — January 29, 2011Join us for an opening reception Friday, December 10th from 5–8 PM to meet the photographer.

In this body of work, Eastman has returned to Cuba after nearly a decade has passed since his first body of work was photographed there. The first series documented multiple visits between 1999 - 2001 and was one of his most successful bodies of work to date.

Friday, December 03, 2010

The Vino Gallery: Saturday, 11 December 2010

Join us at The Vino Gallery on December the 11th (from 6-9pm) for our first Annual Holiday exhibit. Our featured artists will be: Bob Treece, Andre Tourette, Jane Linders, Bob Rickert, Omer Huremovic, Julie Heller, Greg Kluempers, Br. Mel Meyer, Br. Brian Zampier, and Mike Moran. At The Vino Gallery, we offer fine art from emerging and established artists in a variety of mediums, at obtainable prices. Let us share our passion for wine and art with you.

Concrete Ocean Art Gallery: Friday, 14 January 2011

On January 14, 2011 Jennifer Bradford and Jenn Carter will be exhibiting new works at Concrete Ocean. We invite you to join us from 7 - 10 pm for hor’dourves, live music, and two dynamic exhibitions. January 14, 2011 7pm - February 4, 2011

Pointalized Prime: Jennifer BradfordPointilized Prime investigates the esoteric relationship between mathematical and astronomical phenomena and botanical patterns. Three-dimensional work in wood and metal.

Typography of the Nothing First Century: Jenn CarterTypography of the Nothing First Century explores the advertorial message as seen in neighborhood surroundings intertwined with found imagery. Two and three dimensional works will be displayed. Materials are restricted to metal, paper, thread, and ink.

Norton's Fine Art & Framing: Friday, 3 December 2010

Join us 6-9 pm and 32 amazing, local artists on the opening night of our annual holiday show.- Own an original at a great price.- Small artwork makes a great gift.- Small artwork is easy to wrap.- Small artwork is easy on the wallet.- Support local artists and business.Original Oils, Watercolors, Acrylics, Photography, Pastels, Glasswork, Jewelry

Artwork from previous Holiday shows, Finger food, home-made desserts, wine and a fun time, we hope to see you! The Holiday show will run through Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Framations: Saturday, 11 December 2010

Gateway East Goes West to Framationswith Ron Edwards PhotographyNew exhibits open December 11

Framations Art Gallery presents "Gateway East Goes West", an exhibit highlighting work by members of the Gateway East Artist Guild (GEAG). The exhibit will be on display December 11, 2010 - January 2, 2011. There will be an Opening Reception open to the public on December 11 from 1-4pm.

Coinciding with this exhibit is a Solo Exhibit of Photography by Ron Edwards. Ron's work will be featured in Gallery Two. The public is invited to view these exhibits, along with the work of more than 20 additional Resident Artists who continually show their work at Framations Art Gallery, located at 218 North Main Street in St. Charles. Hours: Tues - Sat 10-6, Sun 12-5, Closed Mondays.

Kirkwood Art at the Station: Wednesday, 8 December 2010

Join us for an opening reception of "Photos from Kirkwood's Past" on Wednesday, December 8, 5:30 to 7 pm, Kirkwood Train Station. Free event, but donations to the Kirkwood Area Arts Council are appreciated. The exhibition is on view through January 3, 2011.

RAC Gallery: Friday, 10 December 2010

Pausing for Reflection: A Reflection on PausingAn exhibition of photographs by Leo Collazo and Ken KonchelCurated by Robin HirschFriday, December 10 from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Photographers Leo Collazo and Ken Konchel move through the world slowly, carefully pausing to reflect upon what many others simply never see. In their photographs, they extract details that make the viewer sit up and finally notice.

Mad Art Gallery: Friday, 3 December 2010

Please join us this Friday, December 3 from 7-11pm at MoneyBags at Mad Art Gallery. This one-night event takes place in a historic police station (now an art space) in Soulard, and our "cell" will offer tips and kits for starting for your own exhibition space. Organized by Stan Chisholm and Lisa See Kim, the event brings together artists and organizers who question how we create and exchange value in the art world. Plus the event is free!